


Who Was This Man Called Phil?

by aswegcalong



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Depends on Who You Ask, Fluff, Hope you enjoy, It's pretty soft, M/M, Puppies, Tried Something New, Wholesome, dan works for a shelter, or pretty lame, phil cannot adopt any pups, thus a friendship evolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 23:57:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aswegcalong/pseuds/aswegcalong
Summary: After four weeks of watching a raven-haired stranger come into the shelter to play with the puppies, Dan finally got the courage to talk to this man called Phil, sparking a new friendship like one he'd never had in his life before. Sure, it was all centred around playing with puppies, but sometimes, seeing a man for two hours a week was all it took to build a friendship stronger than one Dan had ever had before.Teen for language, nothing else, just a little bit of cursing but nothing more than that in this one.





	Who Was This Man Called Phil?

**Author's Note:**

> this was written specifically after dnp went to play with pups for that make a wish visit, and after seeing zoe's (@heartshakedjh) tweet asking for a soft fic like this. hopefully it isn't garbage, hopefully it lives up to your expectations.

It wasn’t everyday you got a regular at the animal shelter, but, this shelter was different. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 11am, like clockwork, a tall, lanky, raven-haired man came in to visit and play with the pups. He would always play with them, but so far he never adopted one. 

At first, Dan thought it was a little odd, to have a man come in to play with the dogs but to never take one home, but eventually he grew to find it endearing, it was a trait he hadn’t seen in someone before. There was a dedication there but something stopping him from signing the papers that made one of the adorable puppies his. And, at the end of the day, who was Dan to tell someone no they couldn’t play with and give a group of adorable puppies the love and attention they deserved. 

It was a job Dan never meant to get so invested in, but when the chance presented itself he ran with it - he needed something to pay for college anyways - and taking care of animals was less of a job and more of a good time to him, though it was bittersweet when the precious dogs or cats got adopted because he no longer got to see them, but they were going to homes where they got loads of good love and attention. 

After three weeks of watching the raven haired boy they’d found out was called Phil came in, he decided he needed to talk to him They had at least something in common - adorable puppies. Did this man called Phil need a job to afford a puppy? Was his significant other allergic and therefore he could only see animals outside of the home? There were so many ideas swirling through Dan’s brain and he realised he needed answers. 

Week four of Phil coming at 11am came and went without Dan finding the courage to do more than greet Phil and pass him his visitor’s badge, leaving Dan disheartened when his Saturday shift came around and he realised he wouldn’t be seeing Phil again until Tuesday. But, it gave him time to come up with a plan, a conversation starter, to give him a chance to think of something to use to talk to this man called Phil. 

Before he was truly ready, Tuesday arrived and he knew it was now or never to talk to Phil. After the usual greeting and passing of the visitors badge, Dan followed Phil into the play room, watching Phil light up like a kid in a candy store when he saw all the dogs out having fun on the turf. 

“Hey Phil,” Dan started softly, not wanting to be too loud or obnoxious during what he now realised could be Phil’s private time away from the real world.

“Yeah?” Phil asked back, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of their cute little corgi pup Maxwell. 

“How come you haven’t adopted one of these beauties yet?” Dan asked, sitting down next to him to play with little Linda who jumped right into his lap. 

Before Phil could even answer, he continued, “Not saying you can’t continue coming here and playing with the dogs, we love your dedication to them, it’s just - unusual for someone to come in so often and not sign the forms.”

Phil chuckled softly, letting Maxwell lick all over his face before he answered, “my landlord has an agreement in the renting contract that says no pets. I desperately wish I could take little Maxwell, or Linda, or any of this little babies home with me, but I don’t have any other place to live and my contract isn’t up for a while yet.”

Phil’s tone was soft, there was a longing behind his words that Dan was familiar with, it was the same longing he had until he had the resources to adopt his own little fluffy friend, and even then he hadn’t yet since taking on this job. 

“That’s literally the worst part about renting,” Dan answered softly, engaging in a round of tug o war with Linda as he spoke, “I’d suggest my complex, but if your lease isn’t up, probably wouldn’t be worth the trouble when you can come by here all the time.”

“Your complex allows pets?” Phil asked, a curiosity in his eyes as he turned to look at Dan, “I didn’t know any in the area actually did!”

“Mine is one of the few, mostly because it’s a lot of grad students that get a pet for emotional support as they attempt to finish school,” Dan laughed softly, thinking about all the tired students he’d seen on his floor but loving how their faces would light up when they saw their pet after they opened the door to their flat. 

“I remember those days,” Phil laughed, engaging in his own games with Maxwell as he spoke. 

After that, conversation flowed easily between them, taking turns playing with all the dogs, laughing and enjoying all the positive energy the pups brought to the room between them. 

Before they knew it, it was 11:55am, the usual time Phil would round up and start heading back to the main desk to head on with his day. 

It was a sad ending, Dan felt like he needed to learn more about Phil, like he needed to know everything yet also like he already knew everything just from how well they got along in that almost hour they had today. 

“So, see you Thursday at 11?” Dan asked as Phil passed his visitors badge over the desk to Dan. 

“You know it, see you then,” Phil said with a bright smile before he headed out the door, out to whatever it was he did when he wasn’t at the shelter playing with the puppies. 

With a new pep to his step, Dan finished his shift and attended his Wednesday class like a whole new person. It wasn’t like him to bond with someone so quickly, but it wasn’t a feeling he hated, he was excited to be able and sit down and talk to Phil again over puppies, the best environment to make friends, in his opinion. 

Before he knew it, it was Thursday at 11am and Phil was walking into the shelter, “Hey Dan!”

“Hey Phil,” Dan called back, Phil’s visitors pass in his hand and ready to pass over, “ready for more puppy play time?”

“Never been more ready,” Phil said as he pinned the pass to his shirt and followed Dan to the turf room, running right to Maxwell as soon as he was allowed into the room. 

Dan laughed softly at Phil’s enthusiasm, finding it adorable how excited Phil got over the chance to play with puppies for an hour. 

Just like Tuesday, their conversation came so easily, flowing like they’d been friends for eons, while they were learning everything about each other with every question coming a new little fact of information. It was the best hour of the day, Dan had declared for himself, the hour he would look forward to twice a week. 

“So, Dan, meet any cute girls while at uni?” Phil asked casually, not even looking up as he tossed the ball for the dogs to go chase after.

Dan spluttered for a moment, it was a question he hadn’t been prepared for. Plenty of cute boys, people, but specifically girls? Not that had caught his eye…

“Uh, no, I uh - not really my bag, y’see,” Dan mumbled out, sitting down onto the floor to play tug of war with one of the pups.

“Oh, oh,” Phil said softly as he took the ball back from one of the loyal dogs who’d retrieved it, “mine neither. Just never really caught my eye,” he added with a reassuring smile. 

In a matter of seconds, all the tension that had been welling in Dan’s chest had evaporated. He hadn’t expected Phil to be so reassuring, let alone probably swing the same way he did. 

And for the rest of their hour of playing with the pups, it was like a new pep had been added to Dan’s step, leaving him really excited for Tuesday to come around.

It became a routine that followed for another 3 weeks, every Tuesday and Thursday Phil would come to play with the dogs - like before - but this time, Dan would join him. And each hour they spent around each other, they grew a tad flirtier, a tad more bold, but never were either of them truly daring enough to make some kind of move. It was just little glances here and there, or a remark or two that was perfectly placed, just enough for the other to blush and hesitate for just a moment. 

During the third week of them flirting around, Phil grew bold, bold enough to ask Dan on a coffee date the next day.

“Hey Dan! Would you maybe wanna come with me to get coffee tomorrow? Like around 11?” Phil rushed out, his words fast and nervous.

Dan blushed a soft pink, a gentle chuckle escaping his lips as he nodded, “I’d love to, as long as I can make it to my 2pm lecture.”

“Fair deal, next door, 11am, my treat?” Phil threw out there, tossing his jacket on as he spoke.

“Hold on, that wasn’t part of the initial deal!” Dan exclaimed, the last two words catching him off guard.

“Too late! You agreed! See you then!” Phil shouted playfully as he ran out the door, not giving Dan a chance to argue it any farther - it was set and it was Phil’s treat and Dan couldn’t fight it. 

9:30am the next day rolled around and suddenly Dan was extraordinarily nervous for the 11am coffee meet-up. They didn’t have the dogs as a buffer zone, they didn’t have much going on around them, it was truly just them, basically - a date. 

Also the first time Phil would get to see Dan outside of his work mandated uniform so he felt the need to find something a little nicer than just a black tee with black jeans. Was a black and white flannel considered nice? 

With a few doubts on if his outfit was considered nice or not, Dan started the trek to the coffee shop, backpack over his shoulder and head down to avoid unnecessary conversation. Though he still had no interest in conversation with the people around him, there was a new pep in his step at the idea of hanging out with Phil, hidden beneath all of the nerves and fear, was a sense of comfort and understanding that he’d never really experienced with anyone else before. 

Faster than he was ready for, he was at the coffee shop, and to his surprise, so was Phil, standing by the door looking almost nervous himself as he fiddled with his fingers while he waited. 

With a deep breath to steel himself, Dan walked in, jovially greeting Phil by sneaking up behind him to startle him.

“Boo!” Dan whispered as he popped up from behind Phil, taking advantage of the fact he was about two or three inches shorter than the raven haired boy. 

“Jeez, Dan, you could have given me a heart attack!” Phil laughed as one hand clutched his chest, a smile wide across his face as he turned to greed Dan.

As they laughed it off, they meandered their way into the line, basically joined at the hip as they moved, following the flow of the mid-morning coffee rush. 

To Dan’s mild surprise, conversation between them was able to flow just as easily, as if they were back in the puppy play room, messing about as they chatted. It was as if nothing had changed, and it gave Dan a giddy reassurance that Phil was a friend that mattered more than just to be used to get to play with puppies twice a week. 

“So, what’ll it be,” the tired looking barista asked them once they were at the front of the line.

“Tall brew, and Dan?” Phil answered and asked, taking the self-serve coffee cup from the barista before turning to the younger, a bright smile wide across his face.

“Uh, same,” Dan answered, never having been to this coffee shop and a little scared to try something new. 

Phil nodded with a smile, letting Dan receive his cup before almost gracefully stepping in front of Dan to pay, leaving Dan to laugh as he tripped over his own feet to make sure he was in front of the younger boy. 

“Alright, uhh, £4.22,” the barista said, trying to hide her own giggles as she finished up their transaction, passing Phil his change with a brighter smile on her face than before, almost like Phil has brightened her day.

“I’m always my funniest when I’m never trying to be,” Phil laughed as he lead Dan over to the self-serve coffee station, rolling his eyes playfully at his own clumsiness. 

“King of comedy, Phil Lester,” Dan laughed as he followed Phil’s actions, pouring his coffee and then adding just the right amount of sugar until it was perfect. 

“Aright, pick a table,” Phil said, gesturing to the mostly empty lobby as he held on tight to his cup of coffee. 

“Uhh,” Dan mumbled for a second before making a beeline for the table in the corner, right at the window so they could see out into the world, but giving them a hint of privacy to converse in peace. 

Phil laughed softly as he caught up to Dan, taking the seat across from Dan and plopping down into it, almost missing the entire chair as he moved a little too fast for his lanky body to be able to handle. 

“You’re such a fucking goof,” Dan laughed, his hand flying up to his mouth to keep from spitting coffee anywhere.

“I try, I try,” Phil laughed, as he centred himself in the chair, making sure he was balanced before attempting to take a sip from his coffee. 

Once they were settled down, they flowed back into conversation like they were back with the puppies, both of them talking about anything and everything without boundaries. Most of the “awkward” hurdles were past them and now they were comfortable with each other, it was amazing what five weeks and ten hours of talking could do when it came to getting to know someone. 

“So, I was thinking,” Phil started, pausing to take a long sip of his coffee.

“That’s dangerous,” Dan interjected before Phil could finish, leading both of them into another fit of laughter before Phil could finish his sentence.

“No, really, I was thinking,” Phil started one more time, after they had finished laughing, “would you want to come ‘round mine this weekend, play video games and just kind of - hang out?” 

Dan paused, half wishing he could take back making fun of Phil since he’d interrupted such a wholesome invite. 

“Or if you want to go with your uni friends I would understand, weekends hold a lot of parties, I remember - or don’t remember depending on how you look at it - my uni days and weekends,” Phil added, filling the silence that had fallen between them.

“No, no, Phil I’d love to, I’m just not used to actually being invited. I kinda feel like an ass for interrupting your invite, actually,” Dan answered quickly, throwing his hands onto the table in excitement.

“Don’t, it was funny, Dan Howell - king of comedy,” Phil replied with a jovial smile, “but no really, you’ll come?”

“Of course I will, but I can’t bring any of the puppies, y’know,” Dan said, jesting as he replied, feeling his heart race in a new way. It was a weekend with a friend, why was he feeling so… giddy?

“That’s okay, I’ll get to see them tomorrow, and then again on Tuesday,” Phil poked back, his smile just as playful as Dan’s as they settled that Dan would be coming. 

Once they had agreed, they spent the rest of their time at the coffee shop planning the weekend, aiming for maximum use of time for the best experience and video game ass kicking either of them could prepare for. 

Before Dan had to leave they exchanged numbers, making sure they had better contact with each other to make sure they could plan outside of just tomorrow with the puppies. 

“See you tomorrow, Phil,” Dan said as he got up to head to Uni, “and thanks for the coffee, this place is nice - I’ll have to come back sometime.”

“I’m here often, hopefully you find me here,” Phil offered, “have fun in class, Dan, see you tomorrow.” 

And with that, Dan was off. It was like his aura had changed, rather than hang his head, he looked at the world around him as he walked, rather than get angry at a mild social interaction, he let it happen, knowing that it was a small moment for the rest of the week and weekend ahead of him. 

Phil had changed his world, the man that came in to play with the puppies. Who knew what the future would bring, and Dan had plenty of hopes and ideas that were unrealistic for the short amount of time he’d known Phil, but hopefully one day Phil would have a little Maxwell of his own to love and take care of, and Dan could love Maxwell, too. 

But for now, it was just the idea of a weekend of video games together that put a new pep in Dan’s step, and if that was enough to change his whole demeanor, who knew what Phil and the puppies could do to him as their lives and friendship kept growing. 

**Author's Note:**

> let me know if you want a pt.2, this was actually a fun challenge to write since i don't usually write such soft/"wholesome" fics, if you think a pt.2 would be nice, let me know in the comments and i'll start working on it!!


End file.
